The elevation of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost to pope earlier this month has been a point of pride for Chicagoland parishes, including in the north suburbs of Morton Grove, Park Ridge,

The contrast between President Trump and Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV couldn’t be more stark, politically, personally, or in their world views.

Despite being the first pope from America, a country where the Catholic Church is known for its relative conservatism, Pope Leo XIV — who spent much of his adult life working in Peru — is expected to largely continue his predecessor’s progressive reforms,

Pope Leo XIV is busy in his first full week of work in the Vatican, but will he consider making a trip home to Chicago in the near future?

While Pope Leo XIV presides over a flock of 1.4 billion people from within Vatican City, there’s one worldly responsibility he may not escape: Uncle Sam.

At a meeting Pope Leo held with international journalists, NBC News’ Lester Holt spent time speaking one-on-one with the Pontiff. They discussed the significance of the Pope being American and if he plans to return to the United States any time soon.

"I hope to be able to respond to [the challenges] with a healthy dialogue," said Cardinal Robert Prevost in 2023.

Speaking to EWTN News Nightly anchor Catherine Hadro on Monday, Rooney — also a former U.S. representative — said that Leo will be a “fantastic Pope” because he “can communicate with people in a very clear but nonthreatening way.”